Samuel Newitt Wood was born December 30, 1825 in Mount Gilead, Ohio. His Quaker parents were David and Esther (Mosher) Wood. Samuel was opposed to slavery and became an abolitionist. As a 19 year old in 1844, he was chairman of the Liberal Party Central Committee for his Ohio county. He was also a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Samuel taught school, studied law, and was admitted to the Ohio bar June 6, 1854. Two days later he left for Kansas Territory. He opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act due to the stipulation that the residents would decide the fate of slavery in their territory. Wood claimed land six miles west of Lawrence, Kansas and moved with his wife and children in 1856. He was a brave and prominent man in the abolitionist party.
From the description of Samuel N. Wood papers, 1855-1891. (Kansas State Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 54449110
